Residents who are not registered to vote are encouraged to go online and register now - to ensure that they are able to vote in the 2021 elections.

At the start of London Voter Registration Week (14-20 September), Richmond Council has launched a campaign to encourage people to make sure they are able to exercise their democratic right.

With a London Mayoral and GLA election and local Council by-election for Hampton Wick ward expected in May 2021, the borough’s electoral services team are ready to make sure everyone who is entitled to vote can do so. The team would also like to remind anyone who wants to vote by post, to get their application in as soon as possible.

Mark Maidment, Electoral Registration Officer said:

“The elections might seem like a long way off, but we know that there are many people who leave their registration to the last minute.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we also need to know if people are going to want to avoid visiting their local polling station and prefer to use a postal vote. We anticipate that there will be great demand for this service, so the team want to try and get applications processed early.

“My message is simple, anyone not yet registered to vote should do so as soon as possible for them to be able to have their say on issues that affect their lives.

“I’d urge local residents to use London Voter Registration Week to spread the message amongst family and friends who may not have registered to vote or yet applied to vote by post - it only takes a few minutes to register to vote online. You can contact the team or download a postal vote application form”

To register to vote, go to: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

To apply for a postal vote, go to: www.richmond.gov.uk/postal_voting

– from a Richmond Council press release - 16 September 2020